This year’s WrestleMania is drawing near, but WWE started its big marketing push for the event months ago. In February, just before the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, WWE aimed to grab some attention by holding a press conference at the T-Mobile Arena. They promoted WrestleMania XL, a two-day event happening in Philadelphia starting this Saturday.
They highlighted appearances by top stars like Cody Rhodes and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who recently joined WWE’s parent company, TKO Group, as a board member. The press conference streamed live on Peacock, was a move to catch the eyes of football fans in town and viewers across the country.
The event drew thousands, although it didn’t include any wrestling matches. However, it made waves when The Rock slapped Rhodes, creating a buzz online. The video got 15.7 million views on WWE’s social media platforms in under 12 hours.
Over 4.7 million people watched it live, making it WWE’s most-viewed non-wrestling event. The press conference got over 100 million views in the same timeframe. WWE also released its WrestleMania XL video on Super Bowl day, which has garnered over 5 million views on X (formerly Twitter).
Jason Cielsak from Siegel+Gale says WWE’s WrestleMania marketing is a lesson in storytelling and drama, drawing fans eager for the event where storylines play out. The Rock’s involvement in WrestleMania XL is a huge plus for WWE, given his connection to the company and his Hollywood fame, says Cielsak.
WWE has also tapped into its relationship with social media stars like Logan Paul and Pat McAfee to promote WrestleMania XL. Paul, a United States champion, shared his reaction to the press conference on X, reaching millions of followers. McAfee, who co-hosted the press conference and interviewed The Rock on his ESPN show, drew over 3 million views with a clip on X.
WrestleMania’s promotional buzz isn’t just good for WWE; it also boosts the economies of the cities hosting the event. Last year’s WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles generated $215 million, breaking the previous record set by WrestleMania 38 in Dallas/Arlington.
Since 2016, WrestleMania has brought in over $1.2 billion in economic impact for host cities. Shares of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, have risen nearly 7% this year.
